The City Constabulary after weeks of investigations has concluded that former acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba breached the financial regulations and systems at the Georgetown Municipality when she granted a $27M tax waiver to a company belonging to Ganga Prasad, the former owner of Stand Cinema.
As a result of the findings it was recommended that Sooba be relieved of her duties as acting Town Clerk and that criminal charges be brought against her, sources within the Mayor and City Council said yesterday.
Sooba is no longer the acting Town Clerk as her appointment was revoked and Royston King has been appointed to fill the position. On May 25th this year, Sooba was sent on administrative leave by the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown, following turbulent three-year tenure, for various investigations to be done.
King, when contacted by Stabroek News yesterday, confirmed that he is in possession of the final report on the issue but would reserve his comments until next week, when he is expected to make a full statement on the matter to the media.
As a result of the waiver to Ganga Prasad and Sons Limited located, at Lot 162 Charlotte and Wellington streets, the city of Georgetown was deprived of millions of dollars in rates and taxes.
The City Constabulary concluded that Sooba acted outside of her powers, an action which is criminal. Then Local Government Minister Norman Whittaker through a letter dated July 16th, 2014, had advised Sooba that he was ordering that the rates due on the property be waived by the City Council for the years 2002 to 2009.
This occurred without Whittaker having any clear legal authority to do so. Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall had said then that the Ministry of Local Government had no lawful power to waive rates and taxes.
Sooba was surprisingly installed as acting Town Clerk in July, 2012 by the then PPP/C Ministry of Local Government and she defied several motions of no-confidence moved against her by the Mayor and City Council.
With the change of government her removal was certain.
Earlier this month Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan in a letter informed Sooba that her appointment was revoked. It took effect from July 7, 2015.
